Gloria Arroyo "will not receive fair trial"

MANILA, Philippines: Former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo is being "persecuted" and will not receive a fair trial after she was arrested for allegedly rigging elections, a lawyer for her family said on Sunday. Ferdinand Topacio dismissed assurances from President Benigno Aquino that the ailing Arroyo will be treated fairly, saying the government was determined to get the ex-president. "There is a pall of gloom about her because of what has happened. She is being persecuted and it is taking a toll on (her) health," Topacio told ABS-CBN television. Topacio said the case against Arroyo was "railroaded" and the former president's rights were being violated. "They will now pull all stops to prevent our client from getting a fair trial," he said. Arroyo, who is confined to a suburban hospital for a rare bone disease, has lost her appetite and is suffering an intestinal infe...